Fall Colors

by Delaynna Trim, Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art Curator

Five Islands, Fr. Gerrer

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for the leaves to start changing colors. Images like this painting by Fr. Gerrer remind me of the cool, Fall evenings (all three of them!).

Thinking about color, did you know that we have used a wide variety of materials to create pigments over the years. The colors for the cave paintings in places like Lascoux, France came from ochre for the browns and reds, as well as charcoal for the black.

The cochineal insect from Mexico and South America creates a deep red color that was used to create the pigment carmine. Mesoamerican peoples in southern Mexico had started using the cochineal bug as early as 2000 BC. When the Spanish Conquistadors invaded Mexico, they discovered this beautiful red dye made from insects and started to ship it back to Spain by 1523. It was during the Baroque period that red dye from the cochineal insect became the most popular red pigment for artists such as Rubens and Caravaggio. Prior to that time, Rubia root from the madder plant was used to create reds, oranges, and pinks. Brazilwood was also used to create red dye.

The blue stone lapis lazuli was crushed to create the pigment ultramarine. In ancient times, it was more expensive than gold! Lapis lazuli is found in Afghanistan. But thanks to the Venetian ports, it was sent across Europe. Often it was used to create Virgin Mary’s blue cloak. Ultramarine was used by many Renaissance painters such as Masaccio and Perugino, and later by artists such as Vermeer. The turban of the Girl with a Pearl Earring is painted with a mixture of ultramarine and lead white, with a thin glaze of pure ultramarine over it. Today, ultramarine is created synthetically.

Lead White is basic lead carbonate, a chemical compound that occurs naturally in the mineral hydrocerussite. Hydrocerussite was mined in southern Europe, Mesopotamia, and Egypt as early as 4000 BC. Lead white was used by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. Chalk, powdered eggshells, oyster shells, and calcined deer horn were also used to create white pigment. Lead can be very dangerous if ingested. Some experts suspect Caravaggio and Goya to have suffered from lead poisoning.

Paris Green and Schele’s Green were both discontinued due to their arsenic content.  Scheele's Green was invented in 1775 by Carl Wilhelm Scheele. In 1814, Paris Green was invented by paint manufacturers Wilhelm Sattler and Friedrich Russ, in Schweinfurt, Germany for the Wilhelm Dye and White Lead Company to replace Schele’s Green.  Paris Green was used by Paul Gauguin, Vincent Van Gogh, and Claude Monet.

Art Project

Create your own natural dyes and more colorful art activities at https://www.mgmoa.org/art-projects

(Some aspects of this project need to be completed by an older, responsible child or adult.)

Color options:

Yellows: Turmeric, carrots, saffron, dandelions

Reds/Pinks: Beets, raspberries, pomegranate 

Purples: Red cabbage, blueberries, black beans 

Greens: Spinach, kale, parsley 

Browns: Coffee, cinnamon, walnut hulls, black tea

Making the Dye:

1. Chop: Chop the chosen fruit, vegetable, or spice into small pieces to help release the pigment. 

2. Boil: Place the chopped material in a pot, add enough water to cover it, and bring to a boil.

3. Simmer: Reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer for about an hour. The longer it simmers, the more concentrated the color will be.

4. Strain: After simmering, strain the dye through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth to remove all the solid pieces, leaving you with a liquid dye.

5. Cool: Let the dye cool down before use. 

  You can dye anything from fabric to eggs to paper.